Underrated Performances By Old Fighters

I always thought Mike Weaver decisoning Bert Cooper at the age of 40 was impressive. Weaver had been through hell throughout his career and he still handily won a decision against a very dangerous fighter who wasn't that far removed from the Holyfield fight.

Speaking of Holyfield, I thought he fought a very simple yet extremely effective fight against Valuev, and deserves a lot of credit. Boring slow paced fight or not, that was how Holyfield was going to win that fight... Slowing down the pace against a guy who's slow to begin with and using his ring smarts. I think he deserves credit for that. Not to mention he was ****ing what... 45? 46?

 

Roberto Duran vs Jorge Castro. He was 46 years old against a 29 year old former middleweight titlist who went onto beat JD Jackson again and challenge twice for the cruiserweight title.

 

Great choice actually.

Then there's an equally ancient Duran being screwed against Pazienza and Camacho.

 

Johnson Willard.

Johnson was still a top fighter when he lost to Jess.

 

A tubercular Jim Driscoll winning all the early rounds against Charles Ledoux before his 40yr old body betrayed him.Like wise Fitz against Jeffries in their second fight.

 

Archie Moore TKO 10 Alejandro Lavorante- Lavorante was a 6'4 212lb # 4 rated Heavyweight contender in the division coming off a huge knockout victory over Zora Folley. Archie Moore was 45 1/2 years old, came into the fight, and beat up Lavorante so badly that he had to be carried off the ring in a stretcher!

 

Add to this Moore's lazarus like comeback against Yvon Durelle,after being flattened early:good

 

People forget Lewis was nearly 38 when he beat Vitali and nearly 37 when beating Tyson

Virgil Hill beating Tiozzo for WBA Cruser title at 36 and regaining the same belt at 42 (although the latter was an interim belt)

 

Didn't Lavorante die shortly after that? Two fights later I think.

 

Yeah, he took an even bigger ass-kicking against Ali, and then died in his next fight.

 

Uuuuuugh. I wonder how much Ali and Moore had to do with killing him...

 

Probably didn't help, given that Lavorante didn't leave the ring under his own power in either fight.

On a slightly lesser scale, Saoul Mamby inflicting the first losses on the records of Larry Barnes and Glenwood Brown was a pretty decent accomplishment, even if both decisions were disputed. It should be noted that Mamby still had both of them in trouble during the course of the fight, and peformed pretty well, anyway.

 

I was thinking Saoul Mamby too but against a still workable Gary Hinton.

 

James Douglas vs Quinne Navarre. For Douglas to come out of a coma lose 150 pounds, and fight like he did against a decent journeymen was pretty amazing.
The Duran Pazienza fights were pretty entertaining too.

Larry Holmes Oliver Mcall, he almost did it

 

Marvin Johnson in the first fight with Leslie Stewart comes to mind also.